


Pre-campaign RP

by Chuizard



Series: Lingles RPs [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Drow, First Meetings, Half-Elves, M/M, Slow Romance, Tieflings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24043447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chuizard/pseuds/Chuizard
Summary: Posting the roleplays from Discord for myself and Ali (foreignobjecticus). If you happen to read them and like them somehow let us know! There may be two distinct writing styles in here because it's... well... a roleplay.This roleplay is when Jingles and Luck first meet. I summarize the first part since it happened live on voice chat and the second part was written because we wanted to continue after the session.Jingles belongs to me and Luck belongs to Ali (foreignobjecticus). This was posted with permission from both parties. Minor edits may be made for the sake of my perfectionism.Recommended song: https://youtu.be/ABS-mlep5rY
Relationships: Luck/Jingles
Series: Lingles RPs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734376
Kudos: 2





	1. Bigger Summary

A "Quick" Summary before we start (from what I can recall). Jingles and Luck met back at the tavern. We started with Jingles doing an impressive performance- I don't exactly remember what kind but it was probably something like magic, dancing, and some neato flips and tricks around the place. Luck was at the bar, distracted by Jingles. He ended up dropping his cards in the middle of a trick of his own, which he was showing to a nameless npc. Luck bent down onto the ground to pick up his cards, but had trouble finding last one; the king of hearts. That's when he heard a voice ask "Is _this_ your card~?" And there's Jingles, leaning on the bar, with Luck's last card in his hand. Luck stutters (but I don't recall what he said exactly) a yes and asked how Jingles got ahold of his card. He quickly stands back up and takes it from Jingles. Jingles never gave him a straight answer. It was then where the barkeeper addressed them both and told them about the job - some valuables were stolen from a local dragonborn from some bandits. Luck and Jingles say that they'll take care of it before introducing themselves to each other. Again I don't remember what Luck said but I do believe he said his name first and then asked for Jingles' name. To which he replied "You can call me... Jingles~"

They stopped by the dragonborn's place to see what exactly had gotten stolen, get some more details, and arranged a reward. Nothing of note happened until they came upon the ravine where the bandits were staying. They were camping out, surrounded by stuff they stole. It looked like if they were sneaky about it one of them could just sneak up and grab the stuff and they can leave. Jingles offered to be the distraction. Eager to perform he back-flips down the ravine path and doesn't break any bones while doing so. Amazing. The bandits weren't really impressed. They were more or less weirded out by Jingles and cautiously held out their swords at him. Jingles put his hands up defensively, trying to show them that he meant no harm. He eventually convinces them that he was simply a travelling jester looking to entertain some fellow travelers. The bandits calm down a little and agree to see the performance. Around this time poor Luck failed his stealth save. The bandits become suspicious again and Jingles somehow talked his way out of getting stabbed by claiming Luck was just a shy assistant. He was going to ask Luck to perform some card tricks, but when he looked back to where Luck was he was gone. Jingles carried on with his performance solo. He played some music and danced a little and performed well despite being a little embarrassed and betrayed since he was abandoned by his comrade. The bandits enjoy themselves, threaten Jingles when the performance is done, and allow him to leave. Jingles, of course, flips back up the cliff similarly to how he came down. Afterwards he decides to see where Luck went and he wasn't exactly happy about it.

When he finds Luck they have **words**. I remember them arguing for a bit before calming down. They needed another plan. Jingles insisted Luck come up with something. It was only fair since Jingles' plan got ruined by him. Luck comes up with the idea of flooding the ravine. Jingles is skeptical of how this would work, but given that they don't have any other plan, he goes along with it. After finding a river near the top of the ravine they dug a path to redirect it and froze part of the river. I dunno how this worked but the dm allowed it so I'm not questioning it. The ravine starts to flood. As the bandits look up at the rushing water, horrified, they see a silhouette of a jester and have a "I KNEW IT" moment. There were three bandits. Two of them didn't make their save and got stuck in the flooding ravine, while the leader managed to get out and made a beeline for Jingles. Luck was ready to bail at any moment. Tempted to jump into the water if anything went south. The leader and Jingles fight for a couple turns, both using short swords. Jingles ended up getting slashed pretty good from the shoulder to his chest. I remember him being rather irate, and now he was even more so because his costume had ripped. The bandit leader stopped fighting Jingles to try and save his two bandit buddies. Frustrated Jingles followed him down and waited for him at the "shore" to continue the fight. Meanwhile Luck actually did dive in and got the stolen dragonborn stuff without an issue. The bandits seemed too busy trying to survive the flood to really bother with him. One of the bandits didn't make it out of water. (Or maybe they did and ran off? Either way there's two bandits now.) The leader had to pull his remaining buddy out of the water. The other bandit had broken an ankle and was leaning on him heavily.

The leader asks Jingles if he could pass, claiming that he just wants to save his friend. I remember rolling the dice here to see how Jingles reacted. The dice said no. Jingles said no. Jingles attacks regardless, and the bandit leader is forced to fight one-handed at a disadvantage. Jingles was mad about his costume, but I also believe he was taking out some anger he had towards Luck at the time out on the bandit leader too. By this time Luck is coming out of the water. I remember you saying that he enjoyed seeing this sinister side of Jingles and decides to help him out. Together they kill the bandit leader. The remaining bandit unable to stand up is on his hands and knees. Luck mercy kills him and pushes his body out onto the water. I specifically remember this guy having a teddy bear, and Luck taking the teddy bear and making it wave good bye as the bandit's body was carried off by the current. I fucking loved that moment. After the fight Jingles thanks Luck for the help and is rather relieved that he wasn't abandoned a second time. They both have a 'hey maybe you aren't that bad' kind of moment before heading back to town with the stolen goods. They return the things to the dragonborn lady who is really happy. Luck picks something... out of the what I would call 'reward chest'. I... I don't remember what it was? An ring maybe? I think it talked to him? Hopefully I'm not mixing up campaigns here. Anyways. Jingles got studded leather armor and a sewing kit so he can repair his costume. Luck offers to buy Jingles a drink at the bar. Jingles doesn't usually drink, but after what happened he agreed anyways. And before we ended Luck did take notice the purple coloration on Jingles' face and stomach was actually what his skin looked like, since the skin around the tear in his costume was purple too.

This is about where I'm planning to start.


	2. The Night After

It was a little late at night, but despite this the tavern still had a few people in it drinking, eating, and having conversations. There was no music, since there was no bard present. When Jingles and Luck entered the tavern some of the folks looked at Jingles expectantly. They must have seen his previous performance. They quickly lose interest with the jingling jester approaches the bar instead. Jingles merrily skipped over to the bar and sat down next to Luck. Honestly, after the today's events he was a little tired, but appearances- he had to keep up appearances! Speaking of which, he looked down at his torn costume. His smile refused to falter, but he did adjust the fabric a bit so his skin and wound wasn't as exposed. It was a clean slice. It shouldn't be that hard to fix. Still Jingles was a little annoyed that it happened in the first place. His thoughts were interrupted when the bartender set down their drinks in front of them. "Thank you!" Jingles cheerfully thanked the bartender. He grabbed his mug and held it up as if he was going to give a toast. "And thank _you_ , Luck." He smiled at his newfound companion and then took a couple gulps of his drink. Now, Jingles did not drink often. He actually had forgotten what ale tasted like; bitter and sour. He did his best to resist the urge to recoil from the taste, but in the end he could not. He tried to cover up his dislike of the drink with a few coughs and acted like it had simply gone down the wrong tube for a moment. He wondered why on earth ale tasted so poorly. Jingles understood _why_ people drank it; to get drunk, but was it necessary for it to taste like absolute _ass_? Despite his feelings, Jingles did not want to be rude to Luck. The man did buy the drinks after all. He took another sip of the drink, and was now prepared for the distastefulness. This time he didn't recoil at all. All he had to do was pretend to like it and tolerate the drink.

"Luck..." Jingles spoke up to make sure that there were no awkward silences. "Show me one of your card tricks!" It was more than a demand than a request, but he looked like a kid eager to see a show. Jingles had his golden eyes open wide with interest and a small grin on his face. He was genuinely excited in seeing what Luck could do with a deck of cards.

"After all that we've done today, you want to see my card tricks?" Luck laughed as he adjusted himself on the chair. He didn’t wait for a reply and didn’t expect one with the jester beside him clearly preoccupied trying to swallow a mouthful of ale he’d reluctantly taken. Pulling his drawstring bag from his belt-loops, Luck fished around for his deck of cards and he broke into a pained smile as his hand brushed past something wet. “Huh,” he huffed, pulling the sodden teddy bear from his bag. With a smirk, he propped the toy up against a bowl on the bar, arranging its little arms together. One of its glass eyes had shattered and dirt had penetrated the thin material all over its body, but it still dutifully smiled despite all it had seen this afternoon. “I hope you don’t think what I did today was usual for me,” Luck mumbled as he played with the bear. The bar was all but silent now and it would have been easy to overhear their conversation if he wasn’t careful. “I didn’t really want to kill the kid, but it was what was best for him, really…” One hand scrambled through his bag and produced a trick deck of cards before the jester could even respond. Small mercies. “I’ll show you exactly what I was up to before all your stupid flipping distracted me today.” Luck’s voice boomed across the bar as he deftly shuffled the cards and tossed them in front of his companion one by one. “Try not to get blood on them, kid, or they’ll be no good to me. If you can beat me at my own game I’ll pay to get that patched up myself,” he laughed, long fingers pointing to the gash on Jingles chest on their way to sweep up the flagon of ale by his side. Will one long pull, Luck downed a good portion of his drink, dropping the flagon back to the bar with too much gusto. Shifting around, he curled his back and hunched over the cards in his hand, and rather abruptly he was level with Jingles, unsettlingly dark eyes locked with the jester’s own. “You tell me what three cards I’m holding.”

Jingles criss-crossed his legs onto his seat and leaned forward to give Luck all of his attention. His attention was immediately broken when Luck took out the teddy bear and sat it on the bar. His smile almost went down to a thin straight line. The kid Luck had killed... Jingles could easily put himself in the poor lad's shoes since they were so similar in age. Maybe he should have tried to stop Luck earlier... A small pang of sadness hit his chest, but he smiled again when Luck took out his deck of cards. "Huh? Oh..." Jingles looked at his hands when Luck mentioned blood. His gloves weren't all that bloody. If there was blood on them it would have been dried by now. Still Jingles brushed them on his pants as a precautionary measure. He did like the sound of Luck paying to repair his costume and the thought gave him a newfound determination to beat Luck at whatever trick he was going to pull. Jingles froze when they locked eyes. Luck had told him to guess what cards he was holding. "Hmmm." His eyes narrowed as he tried to see the reflection of the cards in Luck's eyes. He couldn't see anything, so he looked down at the three cards he was holding and then at the teddy bear. "You would tell me which cards he had if you knew, right?" He mocked whispered to the stuffed animal and made it nod. "Good." He sat up straight and gazed at the three cards Luck was holding. "I...! Have some questions~" Jingles announced with a smile. "Am I allowed to look at all the other cards to determine the cards you're holding?" He tapped the deck with a gloved finger. "And how do I know there aren't doubles of some cards? Did you pick those three specific cards out somehow? How is this a trick? Do you get anything if I guess wrong?" Jingles asked and tried to lean forward to get a glimpse of Luck's hand.

Luck pressed the cards to his chest and huffed out a laugh at the little jester before him. “You don’t get to ask questions; you have to look for clues around you. What have you got? Have a think about it.” Luck nodded and watched his new friend with a keen eye. As he smirked, his left hand dropped to his side and reached for a secondary trick pack that always sat hidden in a trouser pocket. Luck deftly slipped the pack out and replaced the other deck with the original on the bar. A smooth sweep of his hand spread the cards evenly across the wood before them, and with a flick of the base card, Luck turned the deck over. Every card was in order.

"Remember, you have only one chance to guess right."

Jingles put on pout when Luck refused to answer any of his questions. "Only one guess? Alright, let's see..." He looked at the extra deck Luck had so nicely revealed to him. So he did have extra cards! At this point Jingles figured that no matter what he guessed he was going to get this wrong; it was a trick after all. Still, he wanted to _try_ to get it right. If he beat Luck at his own trick then he'd get a free repair on his costume! Before guessing Jingles finally took a look at his own hand that was dealt to him. Ace of diamonds, jack of hearts, and ace of clubs. So Luck's hand wasn't going to be those three cards. He leaned on the bar and looked at the teddy bear. "Now's the time to tell me his hand." He mock whispered to the bear. Jingles held up a hand to his ear as if he was listening to the bear whisper back at him. "Uh-huh... okay... got it." He nodded and sat up straight again. "I'm going to guess that you have... The ace of spades, ace of hearts, and king of hearts!" Jingles announced, a little proud of his answer. He figured guessing the two other ace cards would be a safe guess and he also remembered picking up the king of hearts for Luck earlier today.

"Oh...." Luck feigned a pout and looked back at teddy. "Looks like your friend's told you a lie. After all we've been through. Here," Luck’s long arm snaked around Jingles’ neck in an instant and the poor boy was thrust into Luck’s side before he had a chance to react. “All these cards here and Teddy’s gone and stolen all the kings,” as he direct the other’s attention across the decks before them, three cards slipped from his right sleeve and into the tight pocket of Jingles’ costume without the merest hint of movement. Luck was good for a reason, after all. “Since you played so well, I guess I’d better show you. Wouldn’t want Teddy getting between our friendship over a little card trick.” Luck glared at the bear in mock disdain. The bear stared back. Without further ado, Luck’s arm disappeared from Jingles’ shoulders leaving a warm patch over his skin, and the tiefling waved his hand as he cast a silent prestidigitation. Jingles’ pocket was suddenly heavy.

Jingle's heart skipped a beat when Luck pulled him in close. The bells on his costume jingled with the movement. He blinked at the bear. He wondered how and when the bear acquired those cards. It... must have been a slight of hand trick, right? Jingles was a little familiar with those. Even so, there was still a sense of wonder about the whole trick. He was about make a comment of sorts, when his pocket suddenly felt heavy. "Huh...?" Jingles put down the cards he was holding back onto the bar and used that hand to investigate his heavy pocket. He pulled out the cards and what he saw completely surprised him. Joker, queen of hearts, joker. His eyes widened in disbelief and bewilderment. When did these cards get in his pocket? How did Luck do that without him noticing? God, this man could probably steal all his money and Jingles would never notice... "H-how...?" Was all Jingles managed to stutter.

Luck ignored the confused sputterings of his friend. This was always his favourite part of the trick. “Well would you look at that!” his teeth peeked out from between a tight smirk, and for a moment one could be forgiven the shock of seeing the edge of the tiefling’s sharp teeth. He didn’t often smile like that. Luck turned the cards around with a flourish, revealing three cards identical to the ones in the jester’s gloved hands. “I guess we really are two of a kind.”

He placed the jokers down beside the Queen of Hearts and looked up at Jingles, waiting.

Jingles looked absolutely stunned. Luck had the same cards- joker, queen of hearts, joker. They locked eyes and time seemed to slow down for a moment. Jingles' heart hammered in his chest. He felt his face start to burn with blush underneath his smudged makeup. His hands began to tremble. He realized that Luck was flirting with him. Jingles wondered if he flirted with all his victims or if this was something extravagant he pulled just to get his attention. "I... I-I..." He tried speaking again, but could only stutter. Jingles found himself silently admiring the tiefling's facial features. He was a little aged, but oh so handsome... The wrinkles and blemishes complemented his face. His smirk was melting Jingles' heart into the bottom of his stomach. Or was this just the ale he drank earlier affecting him and his judgement? He didn't remember drinking that much but... if it wasn't the ale then, could he actually be attracted to Luck as well? Finally Jingles managed to break eye contact. He put the cards in his hand onto the bar next to Luck's. He took another look at the combination of cards. Yup. He was sure this man was flirting with him. He spoke uncharacteristically quiet. "Um... D-do you do this to everyone or...?" Jingles finally managed to get a question out. He wanted clarification. He didn't want to end up looking like a fool- or in his case _more_ like a fool.

Luck's laugh came from deep in his chest as he swept the cards back together. "It's a good trick to break the ice, Jingles. I was halfway through it when you distracted me this morning." Although he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, Luck was confident the red hue of his skin would cover any nervousness he felt, though his hands fumbled a little on the cards as he packed them away and he cursed under his breath. The cards were whipped away back into his bag and the tiefling shook his head as if to clear it as he reached for Teddy. That was bold, he thought to himself, and his cheeks burned again. "Come on," he blurted out loudly and slipped off the bar-stool with his toy. "Finish your ale and we can go back my room. I'll stitch you up." Despite his burning cheeks, he couldn't stifle the grin at what he'd said. It'd been so long since he'd been this bold with someone and actually meant it, but he was going to play the game first. For all his flirting, it was always tough working out whether his advances were reciprocated, but Luck would certainly keep trying if it meant he could get the same cute flustered mumbling out of Jingles again. In a cruel little way, he wanted to see just how far he could go before the jester cottoned on, if ever.

Jingles didn't get an exact answer to his question, but Luck seemed sincere enough. This man wasn't out to steal his wallet; he wanted to steal his heart. Jingles was sure of this. A part of Jingles wanted to let him. Despite all the appreciation and adoration Jingles had gotten from performing, he never really returned anyone's feelings. He kept himself somewhat distanced from others and for good reasons! It was time to put an end to this before it was too late. Fortunately for Luck, Jingles did not notice his blush or when he fumbled with his cards. He put on one of his classic smiles, but for some reason it looked a little sad. "I appreciate the 'gesture'... and it looks like you do too-" Jingles couldn't resist the play on words. "... but we've only just met today! We hardly know each other!" He forced a laugh and tried to make this situation light-hearted, but it came out sounding nervous. Jingles hands fidgeted with themselves a little, as he glanced away. He really didn't want to turn Luck down, but he would rather be safe than sorry. He felt his heart sank. Rejecting someone had never felt this gut-wrenching before. He felt like he was going to miss out on an once in a life time opportunity. Still Jingles decided to stay by his reasoning. It was probably best for both of them that they didn't go too far. He was only here because of the job he found posted. Jingles imagined they would part ways afterwards. It didn't make sense to get attached to the man.

Luck’s throat tightened and for a moment he felt as if he were choking. Little guy caught on quicker than he’d imagined… “Ha!” Luck laughed, and it was as choked as he felt in that moment but the charlatan inside him managed to bluff his way through the unexpected response. “I’m flattered, really… But I wasn’t inviting you up to my room for _that_ ,” his voice managed a purr despite the embarrassment and this bolstered Luck’s resolve. Still got it. “I simply meant my sewing kit is upstairs. I promised you I’d pay for costume to be fixed if you won, and it’s not wholly your fault it got torn in the first place. The least I can do is offer to mend it?” He raised one dark eyebrow at Jingles and jerked his head towards the stairs. “I plan to be gone tomorrow anyway; take advantage of me while you can.” SHIT. _FUCK._ “I mean my sewing skills…”

Jingles was thankful that his make up concealed most of his blush, otherwise his face would have been as red as Luck's skin by this point. He didn't mean to have suggested _that_ , but now that the thought crossed his mind... it was getting really hard to say no. His imagination wondered how Luck's skilled hands would feel across his skin- No! He shouldn't be expecting anything like that if he knew what was good for him! It shouldn't even get to that point. At the very least they would just end up as friends. Deep down Jingles was lonely and wanted to make a some kind of connection with _someone_. He already knew this man was interested and it was rare to catch the interest of a tiefling at that. Jingles sighed, but smiled. "Alright, alright..." He turned to his drink and took one final swig of the bitter liquid. "You've convinced me. Let's go." Jingles got up from his seat and waited for Luck to lead the way. Though he had a smile on and seemed nonchalant his stomach was full of raging butterflies. 'You shouldn't do this', he thought to himself. 'It's too dangerous. You should just go to your room and forget about him. You can repair your own costume.' His subconscious tried to talk himself out of this, but to no avail.

Luck walked up the stairs without waiting for Jingles, though it's not as if he'd have had to lead Jingles up - the inn was so small it only managed to cater for two travellers at a time, so naturally Luck assumed his new friend would be housed next door. "If you want, you can get freshened up in your room and just run your costume over to me... I won't be able to do much with you in it," unless you're _looking_ for a prick. **_DAMN IT MAN,_ ** he mentally screamed at his own intrusive thoughts. Better cut this short before he got himself carried away with the little jester. Just have a wash, sew up the kid's costume, and off to bed with yourself!(edited)

He followed the man upstairs. "Oh, right..." Jingles didn't know what he was thinking would happen. Of course Luck couldn't patch up his costume with him in it! Not unless he wanted to hop in his bed and let the tiefling- Jingles shook his head to clear his thoughts. His bells jingled along with the movement of his head. "I'll see you in a bit then~" He chimed with a smile and then went into his room. He closed the door behind him and let out a huge breath of relief. Jingles took a moment to analyze what had just happened. Luck bought him a drink. He asked to see a card trick and then... The flirting began. Oh gods, what did he get himself into? Nothing, yet. He should just... let it go. Repair his own costume instead. Go to sleep. Never see the tiefling again. Jingles had to clean up a bit whether or not he was going to let Luck repair his costume. He undressed himself to put on more comfortable common clothes for the night. His costume, despite looking like it was a one-piece suit was actually four pieces: the cowl, the shirt, the pants and the shoes. Jingles put on some comfortable pants first. Before he put on a shirt he cleaned up his wound a bit and wiped the make up off of his face. Jingles frowned. This was the only time of day he didn't have to keep up his act, but he had to keep it up just a little longer if he wanted to visit Luck. Even without his costume. The urge to cry rose up suddenly as his conflicted emotions started to overwhelm him. After a few minutes of trying to calm himself down, he decided that... he can do this. He can go to Luck's room- just for a friendly chat while the man repairs his costume at least. Whether or not something happens... he will leave that up to fate. With a wave of his hand Jingles casted a spell that changed his appearance. He was thankful for knowing Disguise Self so he could deal with these rare kinds of situations.

Jingles now looked what appeared to be a short half drow that had a medium skin complexion with purple undertones. Luck must have seen his skin color, so he had to pick something that was similar. His hair was short, black, and a little messy- probably from wearing his cowl all day. Jingles kept his golden eyes the same, as he usually did. Jingles' folded his costume's shirt neatly before leaving his room and walking over to Luck's. He took in a breath and put on his usual smile as he prepared to knock on the door. He gave the door two soft knocks with his knuckles and waited.

Luck shut the door to his room gently and turned to unload his gear in a daze. As he unbuckled his belts and shucked the coat from his shoulders, he let out a sigh he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. Came on too strong… You shouldn’t have scared the kid away… Luck shook his head and rolled his neck, stretching back and running his hand through his sleek black hair. He slipped the tie from his ponytail and his scalp tingled as he ran his fingertips back up through the hair. That’s just what he needed – time to relax and calm down about the day. Luck massaged the hair underneath his horns while he crossed to the basin by the window. The proprietor of the inn had left what would have been a steaming basin of hot water had he not sat at the bar for an hour after returning late in tonight. Luck bent over and splashed a good amount of water on his face, neck and hair, scrubbing hard with his broad hands to get the ache of the day out from behind his eyes. Blindly, he pulled a towel from the hook on the wall and pressed it to his face. Opening his eyes again, he felt the sting of sweat from a poor wash drip into his eyes, but the water in the basin was already filthy. God – had he really been that dirty? He’d felt sure the river had washed away most of the dirt but clearly not. His clothes would need a damned good wash too, but with the way he was going, Luck probably wouldn’t have time to wash and dry before Jingles woke the next morning. They’d probably meet outside tomorrow at the same wash-house to clean their clothes… Probably best I just leave early tomorrow. Luck shuddered as two soft knocks sounded from the door. Steeling himself and putting on his same smile, the tiefling cross to the door in a few strides and swung the door open.

Jingles had silently hoped that Luck wouldn't answer the door. It would have made moving on and forgetting about the tiefling much more easier. Both despair and joy leapt up his chest when Luck swung open his door. Without make up on his face and without his costume Jingles was aware that he looked fairly different. Even if Luck didn't recognize him by look, surely his voice would let him know who he was. "I've come to drop off my poor ripped costume." He stated, patting the shirt in his hands as if it was a poor injured forest critter. Jingles took a moment to observe the tieflings face once again. He looked a little different too... with his hair undone and his face cleaned there was a much more laid-back air around him. He glanced away when he caught himself staring and prayed to the gods he wasn't blushing. Without his makeup there would be nothing there to hide any red tints on his cheeks. He hadn't given Luck his costume piece yet. "I have a favor to ask. Would it be okay if I come in and stay- Just until you're done sewing of course!" Jingles clarified even though he knew he definitely wouldn't mind spending the night with Luck. "It's just... My costume is _really_ important to me and we can chat a little while you're sewing!" He reasoned.

“I’d be glad for the company,” Luck smiled, and despite the turmoil he felt inside, it wasn’t a lie. He took a graceful step back and swung the door open for his friend, swooping around what he realized was a little half drow, and latched the door shut without a sound. “Take a seat.” Luck took a few strides to reach the other side of the room where is heavier kit lay waiting by the bed. Inside, a selection of tools clattered about noisily as he rifled through the bag. Damn sewing kit always managed to get itself tangled underneath all his lock picking tools and games. Rather than dig around, the tiefling instead decided to haul the bag up and dump the contents across the surface of the bed. _Can’t get in trouble here if there’s nowhere for us to sit_ Luck thought and mentally patted himself on the back for his ingenious idea. “There you are!” he exclaimed, untying a set of skeleton keys from the leather cord that wrapped around the sewing kit. Luck shifted the spare pieces of dragon chess and multiple dice from the edge of the bed lest they drop and turned back around. “It gets tiresome having everything all together when you’re travelling, don’t you find? I haven’t used this kit in ages and it gets itself right to the bottom of my things,” he smiled in an attempt to put his friend at ease. The little drow hadn’t said a word since he came in, and he still hadn’t taken a seat. Luck pulled a spare chair up to the desk against the wall and sat himself down, drawing the desk lamp across as spoke: “Come have a seat, Jingles,” he patted the back of the chair and grinned.

Jingles was nervous, but he tried his best to hide it behind his happy expression. Once inside the room, his eyes curiously looked around. He wondered what could he learn about Luck by looking at any belongings around the room. That's about when Luck dumped a bag of things on the bed. Oh, well... That made it kind of easy. There were lock picking tools, games, skeleton keys, and finally the sewing kit. The dice and chess set was almost expected and Jingles didn't really think much of the lock picking tools since he owned a set himself. "Yeah, it's hard to keep everything organized when it's all in one bag." He casually commented to keep up a conversation. Jingles walked over and sat down next to Luck. He placed his torn jester shirt on the desk. His eyes stared at the tear, but Jingles managed to keep his smile on. After all it was going to be fixed soon! "Why do you have a sewing kit anyways?" Jingles asked to avoid any awkward silences. "Do you have some of your own costumes or is it just... to repair your clothes when they get torn? How long have you been able to sew?" He asked a few questions and looked at Luck with interest. Jingles did actually want to know more about the man who has been flirting with him all evening after all.

The tiefling chuckled as he lifted the shirt to examine the tear. “Well, yeah…” he smiled, then spread the shirt flat against the table top. “I might have had a few costumes before.” He laughed lightly, and his heart soared at such a simple question. Luck couldn’t understand why he felt so happy, but he couldn’t help himself. “I’ve made myself some clothes before.” Luck pulled a needle and some matching thread from his kit and cast Thaumaturgy with a quick wave of his hand. The lamp on the desk flared, casting bright yellow light across his dark features as he leaned in close to thread the needle. His hands were steady as he squinted beside the light, and he could swear he felt Jingles’ eyes bore into the side of his head as he lined up the thread.

Jingles' eyes lit up when Luck mentioned that he used to have costumes. "What kind of costumes?" He asked a follow up question. Jingles wondered what Luck would dress up as and why he would even have costumes. He put an elbow on the desk and rested his cheek against his hand while he watched Luck. Underneath the desk his feet swung back and forth. He was having a hard time staying still. Despite it being so late, Jingles seemed to still have a good amount of energy. Jingles only flinched a little at the sudden bright light from the spell, but was determined to watch Luck thread the needle. It was surprising how steady his hands were while doing this delicate task. Jingles took it as a good sign. Maybe he can trust this man with his poor costume. Even so, that wasn't going to stop him from observing until he was sure his shirt was in good hands. "Hmm... Is there anything you'd like to know about me?" Jingles suddenly asked. He was asking all the questions so far and... it was only fair for Luck if he got to ask some too.

"You seem to have a lot more energy now it's night time. You're not secretly a werewolf or vampire, are you?" Luck laughed and waved his hand at Jingles in dismissal of his own poor joke. "I'm kidding, sorry; was in poor taste. I used to know a werewolf from down south who'd sleep all night rather than hunt anyway... mean stereotype." Luck's laugh was strangled as he caught himself rambling. _I **thought** you had yourself under control?_ Luck tied off the needle, set it gently between his lips, and threaded his hands through Jingles' shirt to flip it inside out. He lined up the tear with his hands and took the needle from his mouth. "You'll think poorly of me if you know what I dress up as. Suffice to say it's a disguise I use when I find myself where tieflings aren't _really_ welcome." Luck started off the edge of the repair and began stitching together the two sides of the tear in a straight, even line.

Jingles stopped swaying his legs as he was suddenly self conscious about the movement. "You've seen me out during the day, so obviously I'm a werewolf." He let out a chuckle and hoped that Luck caught on that he was just kidding. "But wow you actually knew a werewolf? That's amazing!" Jingles was tempted to ask about five hundred werewolf-related questions, but managed to stop himself. He actually found himself staring at Luck's face and lips when he had the needle in his mouth. Jingles caught himself and looked away for a moment. 'Don't stare. Don't blush. Just keep things casual. You can do that.' He gave himself a little pep talk inside his head. He looked back at Luck when he started to speak again. Jingles actually frowned when he mentioned how tieflings weren't really welcome in some places. "Makes sense... It must be hard being a tiefling. People judge you guys based on your looks all the time. Why not always wear a disguise?" He questioned as he watched Luck begin the repair on his shirt. Jingles lifted his head up and focused on the stitching Luck was doing.

"Do you know how hard it is to disguise the ears and horns?" Luck asked, focusing on his stitching. "That's not even to mention the tail. I can't go against who I am just because of prejudice from others. There's always going to be people who don't like us; I just make sure to spend my time with people who treat me like a real person. People like you," his lips quirked and he threw his head to the side as the Thaumaturgy from the lamp wore off. "Thanks for not being like the rest."

Luck clearly avoided the disguise question, instead locking his eyes with the half drow. He didn't smile back this time, but the crows feet around his eyes crinkled and he spoke a little quieter in the darker room. "I gather you hide a lot behind this costume too."

Jingles kept himself tight lipped. It was tempting to say _something_ but in the end he couldn't. As much as he wanted to make some kind of connection with Luck and perhaps become long term friends, he just didn't have enough trust in the man yet. "No problem." He forced a smile. "People don't always exactly appreciate jesters all the time either, so I kind of get it." He laughed lightly. Jingles wasn't really trying to compare tieflings and jesters, but he wanted Luck to know he understood his situation. Jingles froze when Luck locked eyes with him. He could look at Luck all day without a problem, but the second the man looked back at him Jingles felt his breath disappear. He glanced away. While he kept his smile it didn't really seem all that happy anymore. "Of course I do. I mean, we all have something to hide, right?" He shrugged and was silent for a moment. Jingles glanced down and thought for a moment. Again the opportunity presented itself to reveal something to Luck. "Or did you actually want to know what I'm hiding?" Jingles looked back at Luck with a lifted brow. Silently he cursed at himself for even asking such a thing, but if Luck could handle just a little taste of his true self then maybe ...

"How can I say no to that?" his teeth bared in the grin he gave back to Jingles, side-eyeing him as he followed his stitching. Sharp, slightly yellow teeth peeked from behind his dark lips and Luck knew he looked intimidating but the half drow had already seen the worse of him today; he could handle a little bit of _demon_ that ran beneath his skin. "A little give and take, might be in order..." Luck shifted suddenly, casting Jingles' shirt back onto the desk and whisking across to a secondary bundle he'd hidden under his bed. "You don't have to promise not to laugh, but you mustn't say anything if you happen upon me on the road," he turned away to pull the material from his hidden bag, and as he did he spoke towards the wall where he didn't need to see the others' eyes. "I trust you, Jingles." Luck took a small pair of golden pince-nez glasses and pinched them to the bridge of his nose, then wrapped a thick crocheted shawl over his head. Another he wrapped over his shoulders, and the puffy floral dress he held up against his chest. Luck turned around.

Jingles wasn't at all intimidated by Luck or his fangs. In fact he felt his cheeks warm up a little at the sight. He blinked as Luck suddenly whisked across the room. He stood up from his chair to better observe Luck and what it was doing. The blush on his face grew when Luck said he trusted him. He was left speechless. Those words melted his heart and it hurt because Jingles knew he couldn't exactly return the trust- at least not yet. Jingles was brought out of his daze when Luck turned around with what appeared to be an old lady disguise. He snorted and covered his mouth to keep his laughter from getting too loud. "W-wait... Are you serious?" He managed to say in between giggles. "We could ha-have passed each other on the road and hehehe I would have never known!" Jingles tried to calm himself down with a few deep breaths, but when he looked at the disguise again he nearly doubled over in a renewed fit of laughter. He held his sides and tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. "Mercy! Mercy!" Jingles cried out. "P-p-please take that o-off!" He had to sit back down in his chair so he wouldn't fall over backwards from all his giggling.

Luck's deadpan crumbled and he burst into laughter, tossing the dress haphazardly across the bed along with the shawls.

"You probably have!" he wheezed out between laughs, coming to sit down and again but not reaching for Jingles' costume just yet - his hands were still shaking with laughter. "It's the easiest thing to disguise all the tiefling features; I travel as the sunburnt old lady when I'm heading closer to the human cities," Luck explained, watching with pride as the half drow struggled to breathe between laughter. Luck's chest warmed and he huffed out a sigh as he calmed himself down, starting back up on his sewing. "Sewed the dress myself," he gloated, and tied off the final few rows of stitches with a flourish. Luck bit the thread to snap it between his sharp teeth and flipped Jingles' costume inside out to check he'd not missed any of the tear.(edited)

It took a few moments for Jingles to calm down and stop giggling. When he caught his breath again he sat up in his chair. "Okay... That's pretty good. I dunno if I can top that." He admitted with a smile. Jingles criss-crossed his legs in his seat, leaned forward, rested his elbows on his lap and his head in his hands. His brow furrowed as he thought of what he should say. Then his smile faded. "While I do enjoy entertaining and making others happy I..." Jingles paused. Last chance to not say anything. "I'm not really happy myself. Would you believe it if I told you I have no friends?" He let out a dry laugh. "I mean some people adore me, enjoy my performances, and even flirt with me- like you, but... I guess I'm not that good at making any kind of relationship. Tends to happen when you travel a lot." Jingles shrugged with a sad smile. Without waiting for a response he got up from his seat. Alright! Time to lighten up the mood! "Also I can do this." Despite the room having limited space, Jingles found a spot where he could do a handstand. Once he was upside down his shirt fell a little and revealed his lean stomach. But Jingles didn't stop with just a handstand. He showed off a little by balancing with just one hand and stayed like that for a few seconds. Then Jingles started to contort his body forward to where his feet were hanging above his head, but suddenly lost balance and tumbled onto the floor with a thud. He laid there for a moment to process what just happened. Perhaps the ale was affecting his ability to keep his balance properly.

Luck raised his eyebrow as he listened to his new friend's confession, then stifled a gasp and a giggle as he watched Jingles attempt what could have been a rather impressive single-hand stand.... and the bonus glimpse of skin wasn't bad either. He raised an eyebrow as he watched Jingles do his trick, then sighed as he couldn't help but make a joke. "I'm flattered Jingles, really, but you don't have to fall for me quite so hard." Luck stood and crossed to Jingles, offering a hand up. It was hard to tell, but maybe the jester had had a bit too much drink downstairs. Throughout the day, he'd been performing flips and tricks perfectly, but it looked like his skills were slipping. "You seem tired. We've both had a hard day; how about we save the flips for your adoring fans, hmm? Come sit down." Luck led Jingles back to his chair with one large, warm hand resting square between the small drow's shoulders. They sat and Luck carefully folded Jingles'costume shirt into a neat square on his lap. "We're travelers - we don't stay anywhere long enough to make friends, but the ones we do find on the road form the friendships that burn twice as bright and half as long. I don't want that, Jingles; I want us to be friends long after we've parted, and I know we will be so long as we don't push it now. I think you know what I mean...?" he left the question hanging heavy in the air.

Jingles blushed in response to the joke and from the embarrassment of falling over in the first place. He accepted the tiefling's hand and let Luck help him back to his feet. "Are you sure? I can try again~" Jingles offered, but wasn't all that serious about it. Honestly he was a little dizzy from the fall and would likely just land on his face if he tried any sort of trick again. He sat down in his seat, quietly taking note of the warm spot now between his shoulders where Luck had rested his hand. He blinked when he saw Luck fold up his jester shirt. Jingles wondered how he hadn't noticed that the repair was already done. He suddenly felt sad. If his costume was repaired, then he would have to bid Luck good night and go back to his own room. Honestly, he wouldn't mind spending just a little more time with Luck. Jingles looked at Luck as he listened to the tiefling speak. He blushed brightly after he realized what Luck had said. He... actually wanted to be friends? Jingles smiled. He quietly prayed to whatever god that would allow this to happen. "I... I think so, yeah. I'd like us to be friends for a while too." He said while holding back happy tears. Jingles couldn't believe it! This generous, handsome tiefling actually liked him enough to stay friends. Hopefully they will. Jingles wished for them to meet several times upon their own travels. Maybe they should travel together for a while? That thought warmed Jingles' heart a little, but he wasn't ready to propose such a thing. Maybe if fate allowed them to meet again... he'll ask next time.

"Where are you heading next?" Luck asked, pinching the little pair of glasses from his nose. He'd forgot he'd been wearing them until the bridge of his nose had started to ache and the brief thought passed that Jingles hadn't even mentioned he still had the stupid things on. When all was said and done, Luck would be, well... lucky to have a friend like Jingles. It had only been a day since they'd met but it felt like so much longer. Since 11am that day, they'd managed to meet, travel together to a bandit camp, trick the whole camp, divert a _river_ , jump down their own hand-made water fall, recover an orc's heirlooms, kill couple of kids, chat each other up at the bar, and sew the other's clothing back together. They'd been through more in one day than Luck had been through with some of his own family! Luck traced the fresh mend on the dirty shirt in this lap and a thought occurred to him. "Wait! Is your chest okay?"

Jingles held back a small giggle after realizing Luck still had the glasses on. He nearly didn't notice them at all until Luck removed them. Jingles blamed the ale... and the conversation from distracting him from that detail. "I'm going to stay here for at least another day but after that... Well, I haven't really thought that far to be honest." Jingles admitted. Basically he would go anywhere but Crestport. To hell with that city. Jingles stared at his mended shirt. Luck really was good at sewing. He probably did a better job than what Jingles would have done on his own. He was about to ask for it back when Luck suddenly asked about his wound. "I- I uh... I think so? I mean, I cleaned it and it doesn't hurt that much..." Jingles was caught off guard by the question. "I didn't bandage it yet- might do that in the morning. Did you want to take a look at it?" He asked. Surely his word would be enough, but if Luck was really worried Jingles wouldn't mind if he had to remove his shirt in order to prove that he was okay.(edited)

"I'm no healer, but you did get it wet and if the water in your room was anything like mine, it wouldn't have been hot enough to clean. I-" Luck swallowed. God, he shouldn't do this. He really shouldn't.... with all his back and forth about the candle burning twice as bright and... shit. "If you're sure you're fine," he didn't even try to hide his disappointment in himself. "I wouldn't want to invade your privacy like that." Luck patted Jingles' costume shirt softly before handing it back to the jester. "Thank you for trusting me with your costume. I know it means a lot to you."

Jingles really appreciated the fact that Luck trusted him enough to believe that his chest was okay. Hmm... maybe he should tend to it a little more before going to sleep tonight. Jingles did hear some disappointment in Luck's voice though. Was he disappointed that Jingles wouldn't let him see his wound or was it... something else? Jingles happily took back his costume piece. He checked the repair himself and it was flawless. "I should be thanking you, Luck! You did a fantastic job patching up my costume~" He hummed in appreciation and hugged the now repaired shirt to his chest. Jingles suddenly got out of his chair and gave Luck a quick kiss on the cheek. After all Luck has done, he at least deserved that much. "I guess I'll be leaving now. Have a good night, Luck." He then walked over to the door and gave Luck one last smile before going through it. Even though Jingles was carrying his shirt with both hands, the door seemed to close by itself as he walked away and to his own room.

The tiefling sat in stunned silence as he watched Jingles leave the room, bidding him a much too cheery goodnight. "Goodnight," Luck stuttered out, eyes wide and staring at the closed door. His cheeks which first felt cold as ice suddenly blazed red and he threw his head into his hands, groaning. _Oh my god he **kissed** me. He got to me **first**!_

Luck took a few minutes to calm himself down, then finally removed his head from his hands, rubbing his eyes wearily. He had it bad for the little drow, and now he'd gone and done _that_ to Luck out of the blue? What cheek! What audacity! _What a cute little thing he is!_ Luck shook his head rapidly but he couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face. Then he laughed. A giddy, nervous chuckle came from his throat and he jumped up from his chair with a sudden burst of energy, dousing the flame of the table lamp with a vigorous puff of air. The room darkened on one side and Luck scooped up his sewing kit with a hum, twirling around as he crammed the old lady disguise back into his costume bag and the junk on his bed into his pack. Then he plucked the fastenings of his shirt free while downing the water on his bedside table, smacking his lips at the refreshing cool drink. "What a way to end a night!" he laughed to himself, hurling his shirt across the room in glee and laughing as it caught on one of the wooden beams overhead. The tiefling kicked his boots off and tried to hurl them over the beam as well (with much less success), then loosened his trousers and whipped them off as quickly as he could. They soon joined the shirt in the rafters and Luck stood there in nothing but his undershorts, tail swishing back and forth as he calmed himself down from his little joyful escapade, heart still hammering in his chest and eyes glued towards the door where Jingles had left. He was so close but so _far_... but they'd see each other in the morning, Luck thought with hope, then wondered how the hell he would even get to sleep in such a state. It had been _decades_ since he felt this good!(edited)

Jingles returned to his room and smiled widely to himself. His heart was aflutter and beat loudly in his chest. He... He really did like Luck. Jingles looked down at his mended shirt with adoration. He never really quite felt like this before about anyone. Usually when people flirted with him it didn't really go anywhere. He wasn't interested in the ladies but appreciated them nonetheless. It was typical for Jingles to only flirt back with others out of some sort of unspoken politeness, and then he was gone or they were gone. Hell, he even still had an unopened love letter from a past encounter. It was risky for Jingles to let anyone get close but... he could only stay alone for so long. He needed someone he could trust. He needed someone that would support him. He needed someone that would potentially accept his true self and not just the jester on the surface. He needed someone like Luck. Well, it was still too early but so far it seemed promising. So much happened in just one day! He wondered if he'd be able to catch Luck before they parted ways tomorrow. Jingles bounced onto his bed with his shirt still held to his chest. His costume was dear to him, but now it felt even more precious. He simply did not want to let it go. He closed his eyes as he head spun with little fantasies and possibilities of the future. Eventually he fell into a cheerful slumber, something he hadn't managed to do ever before.


End file.
